Missing
by LCFC
Summary: Sam goes missing during a storm Where has he gone? And will Dean ever be able to get him back?
1. Chapter 1

**Missing?**

_I don't own anything much in life – but I do have a very nice dog!_

**Chapter 1 **

The driving rain splattered against the windscreen of the Impala and the wipers barely cleared it away before another squall almost blinded him. Dean gritted his teeth and prayed that they find a motel sometime soon because he swore he was about to crash the fucking car. Beside him Sam dozed fitfully, twitching occasionally as both thunder and lightening split open the sky. It was like something out of Armageddon and Dean half expected to turn a corner and come face to hooves with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Dean sighed, it had been a month now since his dad had died and they had still not come to any sort of terms with it. They had hunted the clown, the zombie chick, the vampires, all of these episodes seemed to flit across Dean's brain like a bad horror movie but they didn't seem to stay there, to form any sort of memory. It was a joke really, he could think back, clearly to incidents before the crash, before the demon, before his dad yet he could barely remember the last few days, sometimes even the last few hours and he knew he couldn't stand this mental torture much longer. He glanced at his brother, still snuggled, awkwardly, into the corner of the passenger seat, his right hand in a cast. God damn Sam for breaking his hand during what was, after all, a fairly routine hunt, now they were stuck in this godforsaken area of the country, unable to move on until Sam had gone back to the hospital to have his fucking cast removed. Dean contemplated putting another loud tape into the player and blasting Sam out with his music, but that would be too cruel, Dean had to admit that he missed the banter he and his brother had begun to share before the crash, now the only thing they seemed to do with one another is bitch and fight, he had lost one member of his too small family, if he wasn't careful, he was going to lose another.

A sharp fork of lightening lit up the road in front of him and he snapped to attention, keeping his hands and the car as steady as he could. Beneath him the road was sticky and slick with oily rain and he could feel the tyres skidding, the breaks begin to squeak and slide. The car swerved suddenly and Sam's head knocked against the glass of the window, his hazel eyes opening, dazed and confused

"Dean – what?"

"Just a storm Sam" Dean flicked him a glance "Go back to sleep dude – we'll be there in a moment" Sam seemed to accept this and closed his eyes again, his wide mouth opening in a giant yawn, Dean felt a smile touch his lips and he concentrated on the road again, just in time to feel the car shudder and jerk and, with a horrible clang, come to a dead halt in the centre of, what looked to be, a road bridge.

"Fuck" Dean slammed his foot on the accelerator and turned the key, but to no avail, the Impala had stopped and he was going to have to get out into the rain and see just what had caused it to do so.

The rain was cold and unmerciless, the thunder deafening. Dean leant over the hood of the car and flicked it up, peering in to see just what was happening with his baby. Hell, he'd worked for hours on repairing and restoring her, she couldn't let him down now. Water trickled down his face and into his eyes and he cursed, wiping away at it in anger. He heard the passenger door open and saw Sam climbing out, stretching his long limbs and yawning again

"We've stopped"

"Thank you Mr Obvious" Dean snarked with more ire than he intended "I noticed"

"Sorry Dude" Sam shuddered "Never did like storms"

"Then get back into the damn car Sam and let me do my job"

"Sure Dean" Sam moved back towards the door of the car and had his fingers on the handle when, with a huge crash, a fork of lightening split open the sky and flashed down, right into the spot where Sam was standing. Dean screamed his brother's name and leapt up, running round to the passenger side of the Impala, his heart pounding.

There was nothing, no prone body, no smoking spot, no evidence at all that there had ever been a human being there at all, as Dean stood, mouth open, staring wildly, it was now painfully obvious, Sam was gone…………………


	2. Chapter 2

**Missing?**

_I'm hoping the plot thickens here – so stick with me!_

**Chapter 2**

"Dean" Sam choked out, his throat rough and raspy, beneath him the road seemed suspiciously dry and there was a bright light behind his eyes "Dean are you there man?"

"Hey" the voice was soft, feminine and definitely not Dean "Are you alright?"

Sam risked opening his eyes and winced as sunlight momentarily blinded him, he breathed in and out for a moment and mentally felt his body for any injuries, his head hurt and his arm, inside its cast, throbbed and itched, but apart from that he seemed to be in one piece, he opened his eyes again and saw that there was a young girl leaning over him, her blue eyes deep with concern

"Are you alright?" her voice was more insistent now "Have you been knocked down? Where you attacked?"

"No..No I…" his last conscious memory was of getting out of the Impala and asking Dean why the car had stopped, what had happened after that? And why was he lying flat on his back on a road bridge? And, more importantly, where the fuck was Dean? "My brother, where's my brother?"

"Your brother?" the blue eyes clouded with confusion "There's no one here but you, I was driving this way and I found you, flat out in the middle of the road..I thought maybe you had been attacked" she touched his head gently, moving the hair back "You don't seem to have any head wounds or other injuries – are you sure you are ok?"

"I think so" Sam sat up, gingerly, leaning on his good hand "My brother was with me – tallish, late twenties, leather jacket, driving a 67 Impala" he could see the look of pity in the girls eyes and he felt his skin redden "You didn't see him?"

"No – look maybe he went for help – roads pretty deserted and there's not a phone around for miles"

Sam shook his head "He wouldn't have left me alone" he said with some conviction, although even as he spoke, doubts began to form in his mind. Dean had not been himself recently, he had been physically hurt and emotionally wrung out over their dad's death, in fact their very last conversation had been about Dean's conviction that their dad had somehow died so Dean could live. Sam shuddered, he could still see his brother's face as he sat on the hood of the Impala and asked Sam what he could possibly say to make that right, Sam had, to his everlasting shame, nothing to say and Dean had been silent and moody ever since. Sam missed the closeness between them and he knew Dean did too, maybe his brother had had some sort of emotional breakdown and taken off, leaving Sam's sorry ass.

"Look – I think you should maybe get checked out" the girl was speaking again "I could drive you to the nearest hospital"

"No – no hospital" Sam shook his head, shit he'd had enough of those to last a lifetime "I need to find my brother"

"Let me take you into town then" the girl smiled a little, her round face lighting up "Your brother might have gone there" she held out her hand "I'm Katherine, but most people call me Kate"

"Sam – Sam Winchester" he took her hand "I'll take you up on that ride Kate – I really need to find my brother"

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As he sat in the passenger seat of Kate's car, Sam realised that all he had to his name were the clothes he was wearing. His cell, his spare clothes, all his ID's and weapons were in the Impala and he didn't even have any money. He glanced over at Kate, she was a chubby girl, maybe 19 or 20 with soft blonde hair and a plain but kind face. She was dressed in faded denims and a plain tee shirt and, to Sam; she looked like a typical student. She caught him looking at her and smiled

"I don't always let strange men get in my car" she said "But I guess I can trust you"

"Sure" Sam returned her smile "Is it far to town?"

"Nah – only a few miles" she concentrated on the road for a moment and Sam stared out of the window, his mind wandering. Something didn't seem quite right, the road looked different from last night, there seemed to be less houses, more fields, granted he had slept for some of the journey, but the route didn't seem at all familiar to him and he felt a prickle of unease. As they arrived on the town's outskirts, the prickle was fast to becoming a full blown panic. Sam was sure they had been here the night before to the hospital to have his hand seen to, but he didn't recognise any of it, the houses seemed smaller, older fashioned and there were fewer stores. He wondered, for a moment, if they had come to a different town and he turned to Kate, trying to keep his voice even

"How far are we from the hospital?"

"Hospital – are you feeling sick?"

"No – I'm fine – just trying to get my bearings"

"Well – the nearest hospital is St Mary's and that's about 30 miles in the opposite direction" Kate smiled, seeming to sense his unease "Are you ok Sam?"

"There isn't a hospital here? In this town?"

"No – I know there are plans to build one – but that is a long way down the line" she pulled the car onto the side of the road and killed the engine "Sam – you look awful pale – I can take you to a doctor here if you feel ill" Sam shook his head, confusion and fear beginning to grip him, he didn't know where he was and worse, he didn't know where Dean was either, he bit his lip hard, what the fuck was he going to do?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Plot getting thicker I hope!_

Dean sat in the car, cell phone to his ear, listening with despair to the ringing of Sam's phone in the seat next to him. At some time in the night Sam must have taken off his damn jacket and been sleeping on it, now his only link with his brother was gone and he didn't know what to do next. He had examined the area with the EMF meter and had examined his watch and the car's clock for lost time but there had been nothing, no sign of the supernatural, no sign of alien abduction, nada, Dean sighed, he needed to do some research – see if anybody else had vanished from this spot, he guessed his best idea was to check into a motel and check up on Sam's lap top, fuck he was loathe to leave here without Sam, but he sure as hell wasn't going to be leaving with him.

The motel was seedy but cheap and Dean didn't bother to stop for dinner, he spent his time on the net, surfing all the sites he knew and some he didn't but he couldn't find anything suspicious about the area, there were no mysterious disappearances, no strange incidents and no more leads. Dean worked on without sleep and, finally, exhaustion took him and he fell into a stupor over the laptop, his head resting lightly on the keyboard.

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Dean woke with the indents of the keys in his forehead, his mouth was dry and his head ached. He was hungry as hell and still fucking worried but now his concern about Sam was growing to utter desperation because he might snark at the little bastard, but he loved him and he was already beginning to miss him despite everything that had gone between them. He stood up, sniffing at his clothes, god he needed to shower and change before he even thought of getting breakfast, he slipped off his jacket and went into the bathroom, it was nearly 24 hours since Sam had gone missing and he wanted him back, sooner rather than later.

There was a diner just up the road from the motel, it looked smarter than the usual place he and Sam ate and probably more costly but Dean was hungry and in a hurry and he needed to get out of there and try to find some sort of lead. He found a small booth and slipped into it, looking at the menu, after a few minutes, the waitress came over and waited patiently as Dean made his choices.

"I'll have eggs over easy, bacon and some grits" Dean smiled, preoccupied, "Coffee as well please, black"

"Sure" the waitress took some notes on her pad "Are you ok?" she asked "You look a little pale"

"I'm fine" Dean glanced up at her, disinterested, she was short and dumpy, in her early forties, her hair pulled back into an untidy bun, a smear of lipstick her only make-up "Or I will be after I've eaten"

"Ok – I get the message" the waitress gave a slight grin "I'll get on to it"

Dean watched her go and felt instantly guilty, he wasn't by nature a rude person, particularly to women, and he wished that he hadn't been so sharp with someone who was only trying to be friendly, but he was so damn worried about his baby brother, lets face it the only fucking family he had left. He sat back in the booth, letting his head slump against the leather, he really wanted, needed, to see Sam again, talk to him, let him know just how much he cared. He closed his eyes for a moment and only opened them again when the waitress returned with his food.

"Here you go" she put the plate down carefully "Enjoy"

"Look – I'm sorry" Dean tried turning on the charm a little "To have been so sharp earlier – I've a lot on my mind"

"It's ok – we get all sorts in here" she smiled at him and he noticed what warm eyes she had, gentle and caring "You're not from around here?"

"No – I'm just staying here a while" he frowned "Hey – I don't suppose you could answer me a few questions – I mean you are local aren't you?"

"Sure am – lived here for nearly twenty years" she grinned "Came as a student and never left" she frowned "What can I tell you?"

"You know that road bridge – a few miles back – well do you know if anyone has...er ever vanished from there"

"What?" she seemed to grow pale under his gaze "Vanished – why do you ask?"

"Just a little research – for a book I'm writing – you know on urban legends and the like" Dean felt the words tripping from his lips, the usual glib lies but he was hesitating, worried suddenly by the woman's pale face and frantic eyes

"Someone vanishing from the bridge right" she was trembling now and her eyes seemed to fill with tears "Yesterday night" it was a statement not a question "Somebody vanished yesterday night"

Dean stared at her, his own heart beginning to pound "Yeah – but how did you…?" he never got to finish the sentence because she gripped his wrist tightly, shaking her head

"Not here – we can't talk here – I'm going to close up and then you can take me home" she brushed her hand across her eyes and stared at him "I can't believe it" she whispered "All these years and he was telling me the truth – oh god – you are Dean aren't you? Dean Winchester?"

"Yeah – I am – but how the fuck do you know that?" he stared up at her and she shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks

"Just take me home" she said again "And I'll show you" and that was as much of an answer that Dean was going to get…..


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Still don't own anything – damn!_

Sam sat in Kate's small apartment, feeling awkward and uneasy. The apartment was warm and homely, with a battered old sofa and chairs in the living area, a tiny but retro kitchen, a large bathroom with old fashioned taps in the hall with a comfy looking bedroom next to it. Over 24 hours had passed since he had last seen Dean and he didn't seem to be getting any nearer to his brother and had no idea what direction to take next. He was acutely aware now of his situation and the fact that the clothes he stood up in were all he actually owned at the moment and that he must smell pretty rank and if the rest of his body was as grimy as his hair felt, he couldn't be a particularly pleasant companion right now.

Katie came into the room and handed him a cup of coffee that he took gratefully. She took her own cup and sat down next to him, her blue eyes gentle with concern

"Are you ok Sam? You look all in"

"I'm fine" it was a lie and he knew she knew it "I just want to find my brother"

"I'm sorry we haven't gotten very far Sam" she touched his arm attentively "But I'm sure there are a lot of things we haven't tried yet"

"Kate – I'm in trouble here – my brother has everything – the car, my clothes, the money – I don't know what I'm gonna do right now"

"Look Sam" her round face crumpled into a frown "I'm a student in town but I'm on my summer break at the moment and at a bit of a loss – my mom and dad are pretty well off and I'm not short of cash at the moment – I can lend you some money for sure and my brother's left some stuff here for when he crashes here now and again – he's a little shorter than you – but I'm sure there's something that will fit" she touched his arm again "You can pay me back when we find your brother – ok?"

"I can't let you do that" Sam's voice was soft "You don't know me – I might be a psycho for all you know"

"Just let me do this Sam ok?" her voice, like her eyes, was kind and gentle "I want to help you – I don't know why – but I trust you – you don't look like a serial killer"

"Thanks" Sam felt a smile tug his mouth for the first time in what seemed like hours "Thanks – I'll make sure you get everything back Kate – I swear"

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Sam crunched his body into the tiny bathtub and sighed, he was uncomfortable and cramped but he felt clean again and his body was as relaxed as it was going to get. He had scoured Kate's apartment for a computer or laptop but there was nothing, she appeared to do her university notes in longhand, something he thought no one ever did these days. He bit his lip – wondering how the hell he was going to start his search for Dean as he hadn't a fucking clue where his brother had gone and why. He felt a lump forming in his throat and he swallowed down, angrily, his eyes stinging. Since dad died Dean was his only family and he wanted him back, he needed him back, he missed him, his sick humour, his stupid jokes, even his snarky comments, Sam shut his eyes and prayed to whoever might be listening that he found Dean and he found him soon.

Kate's brother's clothes fit him ok and he only had to tighten the belt on the jeans a little, he stared at his reflection and frowned. The denim jeans were wide and flared, covering his feet; the tee was baggy and black with the logo 'Tears for Fears' emblazoned across the front in bright red letters. He gave a wry smile to his reflection, Dean would have a field day if he saw him in this outfit – shit – he would never be able to live this one down.

Now he was clean and relaxed, Sam felt exhaustion begin to claim him; he hadn't slept since...well since the night in the car and his mind and body were telling him to rest. He sat down on Kate's couch and watched as she pottered around the tiny kitchen, his eyes growing heavy with every moment that passed. When he opened his eyes again it was dark and the room was silent, a cover had been thrown over his legs and he seemed to be lying on the couch rather than sitting, his head hurt a little and his cast itched like crazy, but he felt more rested and, after a while, sat up and, mindful not to disturb Kate, turned on her old and rather large TV and turned the volume down enough so only he could hear it.

The news was on and the green flashing time told him it was just after 4am, a reporter stood outside the Whitehouse, she wore a plain blue suit and she was smiling enthusiastically

'_Live today – President Regan is visiting Great Britain this week to talk politics with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – we will be covering his progress all week with our daily bulletins – stay with us"_

Sam stared at the screen, his heart pounding in his chest; surely this was some wind up – some joke. He flipped the channels, finding only old adverts or re-runs of 'I Love Lucy'. He shook his head as if to clear it and turned back to the original channel, staring mindlessly at the images there.

'_And don't forget to stay tuned tonight for Live Aid – brought to you live from London and New York – all your favourite bands are taking part and don't forget we need your donations'_

Sam hadn't realised he had made any sound, but he must have disturbed Kate in some way, because she appeared at the door suddenly, her sleep filled eyes deep with concern

"What is it Sam?" she said "Is it your brother?"

"Kate" his own voice sounded hoarse to his ears and he took a breath, hardly believing what he was about to say "Kate – what year is this?" it sounded cheesy, like something out of a seventies movie "What year are we in?"

"Sam – Sam – "she frowned "You know don't you – its 1985" and with those words, Sam's hopes of finding Dean – finding home – shattered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sam sat in silence watching Kate watching him, she had said she didn't think he was a psycho, but now the look in her eyes told him that she wasn't so sure "What year did you think this was Sam?" she asked, her round, homely face a little pale

"Kate – I don't expect you to believe this – but …" his voice trailed off and he tried to think of a way of saying it...the thing he was having trouble believing himself. Somewhere in Lawrence, three year old Sam Winchester was on the road with his father and brother; Sam frowned, could a person exist in two different time zones? He didn't know much about science and he knew fuck all about time travel – how an earth could he explain something he didn't even believe existed?

"Sam – how could this be?" she looked at him as if she were reading his mind "How can you have travelled back in time?"

"I don't know" he felt relief that he hadn't actually had to say it "I don't know – one minute I was standing by my brother's car in the pouring rain – the next I was lying on a dry road in the middle of nowhere" he shrugged "Kate – I've seen some pretty fucked up things in my life – but this one takes the biscuit"

"Your brother" she sounded doubtful still, maybe suspecting that he might be an escaped lunatic or some sort of mental case "Won't he be looking for you?"

"In my time maybe" Sam swallowed, feeling a pain welling in his throat as he thought of Dean alone and without any family, looking desperately for him and having nowhere to start "Here he's just a seven year old boy…" he looked around at the apartment he had thought of as quaint and retro but now he realised was, probably, in the height of fashion "I don't know what to do Kate – What can I do?" She looked at him, her face soft with sympathy, emotions warring one with the other, doubt, fear, sympathy, she was silent for a long time, then she shook her head, her hand resting on his, warm and comforting

"I don't know Sam – but we'll figure something out"

It was hard being in a place that was unfamiliar, but it was twice as hard being in a time that wasn't your own. Sam had spent the last few days wandering about the small town looking for something, anything that might be an answer to his problems, but there was nothing, nothing at all. It was frustrating; there was no internet in this time, no mobile phones, no means of research other than musty libraries and microfiches that ran at about 1 mile per hour. Kate tried, but she was as lost as he was and she didn't even have his knowledge of the weird. Strangely though, as more time passed, he seemed to lose his urgency, seemed to become more embroiled in the world around him, he began to enjoy and appreciate the domesticity of everyday living, spending his days in the library, his evenings with Kate, eating regular meals at set times, coming home for lunch, taking evening strolls in the park, becoming ordinary, becoming normal. Kate seemed to like having him around too, never questioning any more, letting him stay free of charge, buying him clothes, meals, drinks, him repaying her by doing jobs around the apartment, helping her with her thesis, generally being around, his own time and Dean were becoming distant memories and he was beginning to forget just what he was searching for when he visited the library.

The nightmare hit him like a truck and he shot up on the couch writhing in pain, his hands against his head, Kate was by him almost instantly, her arms around him in the darkness, her voice against his ear, gentle and soothing

"Sam – hey – Sam" she held him close and he could hear her heart beating, feel how soft she was; he sighed and leant against her, enjoying the gentleness of a woman's touch for the first time in a year. They stayed like that for, what seemed like, hours and then he was aware of something else happening to his body, something new, something he hadn't felt since Jess died, Kate seemed to feel it too because she stiffened in his arms, her head coming up so that her eyes were level with his "Sam?" her voice was questioning, unsure but he shushed her, his lips brushing hers, his large hands taking her face and guiding it closer to him, his tongue deepening the kiss, he heard her sigh, felt her soften and he sighed too, his hands going from her face to her neck then beyond, his fingers undoing the robe she wore, his lips following them down; she moaned, her hands in his hair, pulling him down further until he was lying on the floor next to her, his skin against hers, closer and closer until they were one; he entered her with a gentle thrust, a trusting kiss and she moaned and thrashed beneath him, her hands on his neck, his chest, his arms; he was lost in a world of emotion and feeling, desperate for release after so long, he groaned, as his climax came and she came with him, murmuring his name over and over until they were saited.

When he awoke again he was alone on the couch and the sun was rising, he smiled, stretching, feeling lighter and happier than he had in years, his body limp, his neck and head free of tension. He rolled over and flipped on the TV, watching old cartoons, finding himself laughing, really laughing for the first time in, well, forever, he wiped his eyes for a moment and then turned back to the screen, just in time to see the weather report

'_Reports are in of a huge storm heading this way – the storm – said to be rolling in from the coast will hit in the next few days, motorists are warned to stay off the road and there are also severe weather warnings so expect both thunder and lightening to hit within the next 24 hours'_

Sam felt as if his head had suddenly cleared after drinking too much tequila and he leant further towards the screen, the reporter's words flooding through his head – storm – lightening – he frowned, memories rushing back to him, his head buzzing, he saw the Impala, saw Dean's concerned face, heard his brother's voice, remembered the terrible pain in his tone when he had confessed to Sam that he believed himself responsible for their dad's death. God, he had been so blind, he had carved a nice life for himself here in a place he didn't belong and he had abandoned the only family he had left...but maybe now there was a way back, a way home, the storm! There had been a storm that last night he saw Dean – thunder, lightening, he shook his head, it might be a long shot, but he had to try it. He glanced at the bedroom and felt a sudden pang of something, pain, regret, love...he didn't know Kate meant a lot to him, but Dean meant more and he had to try and get back to his brother again, whatever it meant leaving behind…………


	6. Chapter 6

Missing 

_Sorry it's been so long – still don't own a bean!_

The drive back to the woman's apartment was silent and Dean found himself growing more and more frustrated. Finally they reached their destination and the woman let them both in; she was crying softly, covertly, wiping her eyes with the edge of her apron, fumbling with her keys. Dean watched her, trying to temper his anger, she was obviously distressed, but she obviously knew something about Sammy and he wanted answers, he wanted his brother back.

The apartment was small and homely, the furniture old and worn; books and magazines lay scattered across the floor and on the coffee table and there was the sweet scent of home cooking in the air. The woman gestured for Dean to sit and he squatted on the lumpy sofa, his hands clasped loosely on his knees, his patience wearing thinner than the material beneath him "Look lady – I need to know what you know" he tried to keep his voice even "You drag me back here, you know my name, you know my brother vanished on that bridge, how? How do you know? Are you some sort of psychic?"

"I didn't really ever believe him" she was gazing at him but not really seeing, not really hearing his questions, away somewhere else "But I loved him you see, so I listened to him and I helped him" she rubbed at her eyes, her breath hitching "I was a student here, but I never graduated, never left, I guess I just stuck around, hoping he might one day come back" she stared at Dean as if seeing him for the first time "You're just as he described you, he loved you so much, he told me you sacrificed everything for him and that he couldn't leave you alone" she sighed "I never really believed him"

"You're not making any sense here" Dean could feel his heartbeat quicken, was she talking about Sam? What was her connection to his brother? How could she love him? She was old enough to be his mother "How do you know who I am?" he tried again

"I should show you" she got up and went into the next room, puzzled he heard her searching around, the rustling of paper, her sharp intake of breath. She came back in clutching a shoebox and knelt down next to Dean, thrusting the box into his hands. Dean opened it slowly, carefully and, for a moment, his heart almost stopped beating as he stared down into the box, unable to believe his eyes.

There were two leather bracelets; the ones his brother always wore, the ones that matched his own. There were two or three old black and white pictures, the kind taken in photo booths and used for passports, of his brother, looking much the same as he had last time Dean had seen him. There were a couple of books and two sheets of paper; Dean recognised his brother's handwriting immediately and he turned to the woman, his face pale. She nodded, wiping at her eyes again "Read it" she said

'_Dear Kate – I'm sorry to go like this, without a goodbye, but I know you will understand. I don't belong here and it is no good pretending to myself or to you that I do. I don't belong in this place or this time and I have to go home. I have to go back to Dean. _

_I've been so happy here – living with you – happier than I've been in years – since Jess died. I think I am falling in love with you Kate and I'm sorry about that too. I guess I am just unlucky in love. I don't regret anything and I hope you will forgive me for leaving like this. I have left you some things to remember me by. I guess we won't ever see each other again, but I know you will be all right. My brother – he needs me – he doesn't have anyone else, only me. Take care of yourself; I love you – Sam'_

Dean looked up at the woman's pale and homely face, saw beyond it into her kind blue eyes and tried to imagine what had happened here to her and to his brother. There was silence for a moment and then the woman picked up the letter and placed it back into the box, her eyes till on Dean "He told me he was from the future – how was I to know it was true? Takes some believing doesn't it?" she sat beside him and touched his hand "He saw that there was a storm coming, he came here during a storm and I guess he thought that he might be able to reproduce the moment"

"When?" Dean was at a loss "When did he go?"

"September 9th" she looked at her watch "Two days from now – Dean – you have to go back to the bridge – you have to see that he's alright"

"I'm sorry" Dean didn't know what to say, how to comprehend "You've been alone – all this time – waiting for Sam?"

"Not quite alone" she squeezed his hand gently "You have to understand – I never meant for any of this to happen – I never really believed Sam and I feel as guilty as hell now – I thought he was just some guy who had tricked me into loving him, you know, using me as free bed and board. I hoped I was wrong – and now at least I know he really did love me"

"I don't understand" he stared at her "I don't understand"

She swallowed and stood up. Walking to the door he heard her shout something and he realised that they were no longer alone. The door opened suddenly and Dean had no more words for standing in the doorway was a tall, gangly young man, his long hair was blond, not chestnut brown and his slanting eyes were the same dark blue as his mothers, but there was no mistaking that expression, the dimpled cheeks, the puzzled, questing expression. Dean swallowed hard, his voice harsh and trembling as he spoke

"Your son?" he gripped her hand in his "Sam's son?"

"Born nine months after he left" she put her arms around the boys waist "He's a good boy Dean, a straight A student with a full ride to any college he chooses"

"Ah mom" the boy blushed and looked so like Sam that Dean felt his heart tighten in his chest "You're gonna make my head swell"

"It's alright" she smiled "This is a friend of mine – Dean – he's just visiting today – I wanted you to meet him"

"Hi Dean" a large hand gripped his and shook it hard "Look mom, as much as I'd like to chat – I've got to get moving – study and all that" he let go of Dean's hand and dropped a quick kiss on the top of his mother's head and then he was gone, leaving Dean to stare into the empty space – his nephew, the son that Sam never knew he had, a boy born in another time, now not much younger than his brother was. What a fucking mess. Dean looked over to Kate, his eyes bright with sympathy "When I find him" he couldn't bring himself to say if "Do you want me to tell him?"

"No – please" her eyes were shining with tears "Look at me – I'm an old woman now – not the girl he remembers, not the girl he loved. Samuel doesn't ask about him anymore – I told him his father died – it seemed better somehow than telling him some half-truth. I'm sorry Dean – but that's how it has to be" she paused "But promise me one thing ok? Promise me that if you find him you'll let me know – let me know he's safe" she smiled through her tears "He is the only man I ever loved, ever will love, I just need closure – do you understand?"

"Yeah" he swallowed back his own tears "Yeah – I understand and I promise – thanks Kate"

"You are a very lucky man Dean" her voice was soft "Your brother loves you so much – he gave up everything to find you again – I hope you never forget that" Dean gave a grateful nod, his heart clenching again. No, he mused to himself, no Sammy I'll never forget this and with that he was out of the door and running to the Impala, counting down the minutes till he could see his brother again.


	7. Chapter 7

_I am soooooo sorry that this has taken almost a year to complete – but hey – I have promised myself that I am going to finish all my stories on FFNet. So let's start with this one!_

September 9th and Dean was on the road bridge, standing in the pouring rain, watching the storm grew closer to him, watching the lightening zigzag across the sky. He brushed the water from his hair and eyes and bit his lip. He always seemed to be waiting for Sam.

Thunder rent the air and a yellow flash almost hit him; he ducked back, his hands on the Impala, his eyes on the bridge. There was another rumble, closer now and bright orange lit up the sky. A tree nearby bowed and creaked and a branch came loose. Dean backed up against the solid black metal of his baby and prayed.

The bridge was illuminated with yellow, silver and gold and Dean had to shield his eyes. The noise was almost unbearable, the rain beating hard on his skin. The storm had reached its zenith now and swirled the sky overhead; it was almost beautiful in its chaos and Dean held his breath, waiting for it to pass away.

Silence fell quickly and the rain stopped. Dean pushed himself away from the car and opened his eyes, not daring to look at the bridge.

What if it all went wrong now? What if Kate was mistaken? What if Sam didn't survive the storm?

Suddenly, over the sound of his own heart, he heard the faint sound of someone calling his name. It was insistent, weak but familiar and he found himself running towards the cries, his whole body trembling "Sammy – oh God – Sammy"

His brother lay on his back in the middle of the road. He was soaked through, his hair and eyebrows singed, but, apart from that, he seemed unharmed. The cast was gone from his arm and his hair was a little longer, bangs still hanging messily over his face. He looked more stocky too, healthier, his skin golden brown from long hours in the sunshine. Dean swallowed hard; for him it had only been days, for Sam it had been months and he knew that it was only going to be harder for his brother.

"Dean?" Sam smiled, dimples lightening up his face "God – Dean – you won't believe what happened to me" he reached up long fingers to clutch at Dean's coat and, suddenly, he was swept up into his older brother's embrace, strong arms supporting him, Dean's panting, desperate breaths close to his ear.

"It's ok Sammy" his brother choked out "its ok – I've got you – I've got you – it's gonna be ok"

Dean held him all the way back to the Impala, supporting him, even though he did not need the support. He felt strange, displaced somehow and he clung to his brother; Dean; the person who he had come through time for.

He wondered, briefly, about Kate, his throat closing as he thought of her. She had loved him and he had been falling in love with her too. He sighed, yeah; he was definitely cursed when it came to love.

Dean booked them into a motel and made sure his brother was warm and dry before even attempting to talk. He knew that his brother was hurting and he wished he could say something, anything, to take away that hurt. Kate had made him promise – and he intended to keep that promise – but he also intended to make one last stop on their way out of town. He owed them both that.

Sam – predicatively – didn't say much. He told Dean the truth, looking almost as if he didn't expect Dean to believe him. He brushed over his six months in the past, hardly mentioning Kate or his love for her. Dean knew that his brother was hiding something, hell, he even knew what he was hiding, but he kept his mouth shut, offering rare hugs and comfort, wanting only to see his brother smile again.

Sam sat in the passenger seat of the Impala, his head pressed against the window, his eyes watching the road. He felt like it had been decades since he had been here and he was relieved to be back; it was where he belonged, he reasoned with himself, he belonged here with Dean.

He knew he couldn't have Kate; she was probably happily married now and had forgotten about him; to her he was just a youthful fling, someone who had passed through her life once. Sam sighed and wiped away a miserable tear. He realised now that he was fated to this life and, at least, accepting that made it more tolerable.

Dean pulled up outside the diner "Hey Sam" he grinned "I'm gonna stock up and this place does some awesome pie" he got out and gestured that his brother should do the same "You wait here bro – stretch those long legs – I'll be a minute – no more"

The bell rang as he entered and he was pleased to see Kate come from the kitchen. She saw him instantly and her face lit up "Did you find him?"

"Yeah – come on" he led her over to the window and let her peer out of the half fastened blind. Sam leant against the Impala, long legs stretched out in front of him, eyes fixed on some distant point. He heard Kate draw a breath and he felt her tremble beside him, her eyes filling with tears.

"He looks just the same" she said, softly "Oh God – Dean – and so like Samuel – I'm glad" she squeezed his arm "That he is ok – thank you – thank you for letting me see him again"

"Here" Dean held out the paper with his cell number printed on it "Please – keep in touch – I'd like to know how my nephews doing – I might not have anymore for a while"

"Ok" she took the paper and thrust it into the pocket of her apron "Take care Dean – and look out for Sam – I really did love him you know"

"And he loved you" Dean knew that now and he knew that, one day, he would have to tell Sam what had happened to Kate and about his son.

He left the diner and made his way back to his brother.

That day wasn't now though and they had work to do.

Fin


End file.
